Can opener key



' F. F. BERRY CAN OPENER KEY April 9, 1957 Filed May 4, 1955 "NIH United States Patent CAN OPENER KEY Frederick F. Berry, Plymouth, N. H.

Application May 4, 1955, Serial No. 506,026

1 Claim. (Cl. 220-52) This invention relates to a key for opening cans having a circumferential tear strip formed by weakened lines and terminating in a tab extending exteriorly of the can, and particularly relates to means for securely engaging the key with the tear strip tab and coiling the tear strip on the key as the can is opened.

With conventional can opener keys it has been found diflicult to start the tearing of the strip owing to the fact that the tear strip tab tends to disengage from the key as the key is initially twisted. A more serious and dangerous difficulty is that as the tear strip is wound on the key considerable force is needed to wind the tear strip in a coil on the key, this force frequently causing the tear strip coils to slide off one another and gash the hand of the user with the very sharp and jagged edges of the strip. While various suggestions have been made for providing a can opener key which confines the tear strip coil, previous attempts have been unsuccessful because separate parts not adapted to be soldered llut agiinst the end of the can are required, or the key does not move smoothly around the can and therefore tends to disengage from the tear strip tab.

The present invention not only provides a key adapted to be soldered fiat against the end of the can but also a key which rolls smoothly during the coiling operation :znd which securely holds the tab end of the tear strip and safely confines the coils so that removal of the tear strip once begun continues smoothly with a minimum effort and maximum safety for the user.

According to the present invention the key comprises an elongate shank, usually provided with a finger grip at one end, the shank having portions extending transversely of the shank which form opposed edges spaced apart to receive and coil the tear strip between said edges, and a slot in said shank between said portions for engaging the tear strip tab, said portions having outer edges which are curved toward the slot and adapted to roll on the can as the shank is turned, thereby to facilitate initial turning of the shank without disengaging the tab from the slot. Preferably the aforesaid portions comprise arms whose outer edges are rounded or bent, the arms straddling the slot so as to guide the coil wound around the tab engaged in the slot.

In a more specific aspect the shank is provided with projections extending laterally from the shank and spaced from the aforesaid edge-forming portions, said projections being adapted to engage the side of the can during twisting of the key so as to stabilize the axis of the key parallel to the axis of the can.

In another aspect the shank is provided with one or more slots each of which tapers to a width substantially less than that of the thickness of the tear strip tab, so that the tear strip tab may be wedged in the thin end of the slot thereby firmly to secure the tab in the slot and prevent its disengagement when the key is rotated. Preferably the thin end of the tapered slot is located within lines extending from the aforesaid edges, while the wide end of the tapered slot extends lengthwise of the shank a 2 beyond a line extending from one of said edges so that the slot is longer than the tear strip is wide and so that the tab may be inserted in the wider end and then wedged in the narrow end of the tapered slot by a quick lengthwise movement of the key.

For the purpose of illustration typical embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is an isometric view showing the operation of the key on a can;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one form of the key;

Fig. 3 is 5 side elevation of the key shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a front elevation showing another embodiment of the key.

As shown in Figs. 2 to 4 the key comprises a shank 1 having a finger grip 2 at one end and a weakened portion 3 at the other end. As shown in Fig. l the weakened portion 3 is intended to be soldered to the end of the can C so that the key may be detached from the end of the can by breaking it off from the portion 3.

Extending laterally from both sides of the shank 1 are arm portions 4 which form opposed parallel edges 5 spaced apart approximately the width of the tear strip 3.

The outer ends of the arm portions 4 are rounded as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and may also be bent slightly outward, if desired, without interfering with the fiat attachment of the key to the end of the can. Extending through the shank 1 is a slot 6 which is preferably tapered between a wide end, whose width is greater than that of the thickness of the tear strip S, and a narrow end whose width is less than the thickness of the tear strip. it is desirable that the narrow end of the slot 6 terminate (between the edges 5, or lines extending from said edges, while the wide end should extend beyond a line extending from one of the edges.

When the key has been detached from the can C by breaking it away from the weakened portion 3, the slot 6 is fitted over the tab T of the tear strip S with the tab lying in the wider end of the slot. A quick lengthwise jerk of the key will then wedge the tab T in the narrow end of the slot 6 thereby firmly securing the tab to the key. If cans of heavy gage metal are used two slots 6 may be provided as shown in Fig. 5 to permit the tab to be folded after insertion through the first slot and then inserted in the second slot. The resulting fold in the tab which is secured at either end of the fold places the subsequent strain upon the strip on the portion of the shank lying between the slots, thus relieving lengthwise stress on the tab.

After attaching the key to the tab the key is rotated with its rounded arms 4 rolling over the circumference of the tab. This rolling action n t only facilitates the turning of the key but reduces the lever arm between the key slot and the side of the can C during the initial turning of the key.

Any tendency for the key to rock or wobble on the arms 4 is reduced by the provision of the stabilizer arms 7 which are disposed on the shank l at the opposite end of the key from the finger piece 2 and spaced from the arms 4. The stabilizer arm 7 may be used with the double slot key of Fig. 5 if desired, or may be omitted if cans of light gage metal are used.

The double slot arrangement of Fig. 5 is particularly useful where the tear strip tab is soldered to the can so as to be unduly short and of insufiicient length to complete one coil before the actual tearing begins.

From the foregoing description it can be seen that I have provided a key adapted to engage a tear strip tab with greater security than any hitherto known. My key affords a very desirable safeguard of coiling the detached tear strip between arm portions 4 and at the same time 2,788,152 Patented Apr. 9, 1957 permits those arms to be rolled easily over the can with very little uneven movement.

I claim:

A key for opening a can having a tear strip terminating in a tab comprising an elongate shank having a finger grip at one end, the shank having integral spaced finger portions extending transversely of the shank forming opposed edges spaced apart to receive and coil the tear strip between the edges, a slot in said shank between said finger portions for engaging the tab, said finger portions being curved in the same direction transversely about the longitudinal axis of the shank and adapted to roll on said can as the shank is turned, thereby to facilitate the initial turning of the shank without disengaging the tab from the slot, and projections on opposite sides of the shank and spaced from the aforesaid finger portions, said projections extending substantially the same distance transversely of the shank as said finger portions so as to stabilize the key as it is twisted around the can.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

